Effectiveness of hand hygiene interventions in reducing illness absence among children in educational settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Willmott, Micky; Nicholson, Alex; Busse, Heide; MacArthur, Georgina J; Brookes, Sara; Campbell, Rona

doi:10.1136/archdischild-2015-308875

Cited by 122 publications

(124 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…89 Although similar results regarding handwashing have been confirmed in a Cochrane meta-analysis, 90 hand hygiene interventions in educational settings were not as unequivocally effective. 91,92 Low adherence to hand hygiene recommendations was correlated with higher incidence of IFV infection among health care workers during the 2009 pandemic. 93 The use of face masks has been shown to be highly effective in the interruption of respiratory viral spread.…”

Section: Public Health Measuresmentioning

confidence: 98%

Promising approaches for the treatment and prevention of viral respiratory illnesses

Papadopoulos

Megremis

Kitsioulis

et al. 2017

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

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Viral respiratory tract infections are the most common human ailments, leading to enormous health and economic burden. Hundreds of viral species and subtypes have been associated with these conditions, with influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhinoviruses being the most frequent and with the highest burden. When considering prevention or treatment of viral respiratory tract infections, potential targets include the causative pathogens themselves but also the immune response, disease transmission, or even just the symptoms. Strategies targeting all these aspects are developing concurrently, and several novel and promising approaches are emerging. In this perspective we overview the entire range of options and highlight some of the most promising approaches, including new antiviral agents, symptomatic or immunomodulatory drugs, the re-emergence of natural remedies, and vaccines and public health policies toward prevention. Wide-scale prevention through immunization appears to be within reach for respiratory syncytial virus and promising for influenza virus, whereas additional effort is needed in regard to rhinovirus, as well as other respiratory tract viruses.

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Section: Public Health Measuresmentioning

confidence: 98%

Promising approaches for the treatment and prevention of viral respiratory illnesses

Papadopoulos

Megremis

Kitsioulis

et al. 2017

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

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“…[18] This providing will be possible just through education and monitoring the level of nurses’ knowledge. [19] The health authority should also remove barriers; provide the necessary of facilities, including new technology. [20] In general, patients in intensive care unit often have been immunocompromised, and thus, they are susceptible to infection.…”

Section: Hands Washing a Prerequisite For Infection Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacteriological aspects of hand washing: A key for health promotion and infections control

Ataee

Tavana

et al. 2017

Int J Prev Med

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The aim of this review is to show the historical aspects of hands washing for healthy life and explains how can reduce the transmission of community-acquired infectious agents by healthcare workers and patients. This review article is prepared based on available database. The key words used were hands washing, risk assessment, hands hygiene, bacterial flora, contamination, infection, nosocomial, tap water, sanitizer, bacterial resistance, hands bacterial flora, washing methods, antiseptics, healthcare workers, healthcare personnel, from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar. Data were descriptively analyzed. The insistence on hand washing has a history of 1400 years. The research results indicate that the bacteria released from the female washed hands in wet and dry condition was lower than from the male's hands with a significance level (3 CFU vs. 8 CFU; confidence interval 95%, P ≤ 0.001). The valuable results of the study indicated that released amount of bacterial flora from wet hands is more than 10 times in compared to dry hands. In addition, established monitoring systems for washing hands before and after patient's manipulation as well as after toilet were dominant indices to prevent the transfer of infectious agents to the patients. Increasing awareness and belief of the healthcare workers have shown an important role by about 30% reduction in the transfection. Hand washing could reduce the episodes of transmission of infectious agents in both community and healthcare settings. However, hand washing is an important key factor to prevent transmission of infectious agents to patients. There is no standard method for measuring compliance. Thus, permanent monitoring of hand washing to reduce the transmission of infections is crucial. Finally, the personnel must believe that hand washing is an inevitable approach to infection control.

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“…There are several previous studies of hygiene interventions at childcare centers, most of which are based on small-scale randomized control trials with monitored compliance of the stricter hygiene practices (see, e.g., Willmott et al 2015;Brady 2005;and Huskins 2000 for reviews). Most studies report reduced rates of infections due to the interventions being studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We find some empirical support for that the zero average effect may be the sum of two opposing effects: an initial increase possibly caused by stricter guidelines regarding absence during infections, followed by a decrease, possibly caused by improved hygiene practices. The decrease occurs after the assessment of the preschool's hygiene practices and a lecture for the staff, which is in line with improved hygiene leading to less absence due to illness among the children.There are several previous studies of hygiene interventions at childcare centers, most of which are based on small-scale randomized control trials with monitored compliance of the stricter hygiene practices (see, e.g., Willmott et al 2015;Brady 2005; and Huskins 2000 for reviews). Most studies report reduced rates of infections due to the interventions being studied.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Illness-related absence among preschool children: Insights from a health intervention in Swedish preschools

Häll

Lindahl

2017

Journal of Health Economics

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. IFAU's objective is to promote, support and carry out scientific evaluations. The assignment includes: the effects of labour market and educational policies, studies of the functioning of the labour market and the labour market effects of social insurance policies. IFAU shall also disseminate its results so that they become accessible to different interested parties in Sweden and abroad. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor mayPapers published in the Working Paper Series should, according to the IFAU policy, have been discussed at seminars held at IFAU and at least one other academic forum, and have been read by one external and one internal referee. They need not, however, have undergone the standard scrutiny for publication in a scientific journal. The purpose of the Working Paper Series is to provide a factual basis for public policy and the public policy discussion. AbstractWe evaluate the effect of a preschool health intervention aimed at reducing infections through improved hygiene practices and training of the staff. The large-scale design enables us to study heterogeneous effects with respect to several child and preschool characteristics that are assumed to be associated with the initial level of absence, and thereby the potential magnitude of the effect. We find no reduction, on average, in children's illness-related absence. This conclusion holds across different age groups of preschool children, and for preschools with varying levels of absence before the intervention. However, we do find some evidence for a decline in illness-related absence among children enrolled in preschool sections with relatively few children. We find some empirical support for that the intervention consisted of components with opposing effects on illness-related absence, which may explain the zero average effect.Keywords: Preschool, absence due to illness JEL-codes: J13, J48 IntroductionAlong with women's increased participation in the labor force, early childhood education and care services 1 have expanded in many OECD countries. In several countries such as France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK more than 90 percent of all 3-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD 2014). While a number of studies have found positive impacts of early childhood education programs on both cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes 2 (particularly for disadvantaged children), the picture is less positive when it comes to health benefits. Descriptive evidence demonstrates a sub...

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Effectiveness of hand hygiene interventions in reducing illness absence among children in educational settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 122 publications

References 48 publications

Promising approaches for the treatment and prevention of viral respiratory illnesses

Promising approaches for the treatment and prevention of viral respiratory illnesses

Bacteriological aspects of hand washing: A key for health promotion and infections control

Illness-related absence among preschool children: Insights from a health intervention in Swedish preschools

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